How to Cook Strip Steak

Strip steaks are one of the simplest, richest meats you can cook. Steak does not require a lot of work to get right, and fussing with marinades and spices can detract from the naturally delicious flavor of a good cut of meat. That said, there are a lot of ways to cook a strip steak so that it comes out exactly how you'd like it.

Using a Grill

Know that outdoor grilling lends a rich, smoky flavor to your steak. Many people swear that a grilled steak, with a little salt and pepper, is one of nature's finest meals. Strip steaks are naturally tender, and only need to be seared on the outside to remain flavorful and juicy. Depending on your grill, you can get very different flavors from your steak:

Propane: Gas grills impart little flavor on the meat, but are very easy to control. You can adjust the temperatures with a simple knob, allowing you to perfect the cooking process. They also heat up much faster than wood or charcoal.

Charcoal: Briquettes light up quickly and get hot quickly, and they impart a rich, smoky flavor on the meat.

Wood-fire: Wood chips, like hickory or oak, often give the best natural flavor to the meat, but they are harder to maintain and light. Many people use a mixture of charcoal and wood instead of just wood-chops.

Pre-heat your grill to medium-high. If you are using charcoal and/or wood this might take 30-40 minutes (most of the briquettes should be covered in gray ash), but propane grills will only take a few minutes. If you have a thermometer, aim to have the inside of the grill around 400°F. The thinner the steak, the hotter you want the grill, since you don't want to completely cook the inside of the steak before the outside is nice and browned:

1/2 inch thick: 425-450°F. You shouldn't be able to hold your hand over the grill for more than 3 seconds.

3/4-1 inch thick: 360-400°F You shouldn't be able to hold your hand over the grill for more than 4-5 seconds.

1-1 1/2 inch thick: 325-360°F You shouldn't be able to hold your hand over the grill for more than 5-6 seconds.

Rub the steak with salt and pepper while the grill heats. There is an expression that goes, "salt and pepper are the little black dress of the steak world." Odd connotations aside, the fact is that most steaks are best with only a little bit of seasoning. Rub 1/2 tablespoon of both salt and crushed black pepper on both sides of the steak and let it sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes while the grill heats.

To determine the amount of salt, think of it as a light snow on an asphalt road -- you can see the road, but the snow (salt) is covering most of it.

Bigger kernels of salt, like course sea salt or kosher salt, will help the outside caramelize better, so avoid using fine table salt if you can.

Place your steak over direct heat on the grill. You want to sear the outside, caramelizing it for perfect texture and flavor. Slap the steak over the flame and then leave it alone. Resist the urge to poke, prod, or move it as it cooks.

Cook each side of the steak over direct heat for 7-10 minutes, depending on desired doneness. They should be browned when you flip them over. If they are black, the grill was too hot. Remember this when you flip the steak and lower the heat, or cook it for half the time. If they are pink, the grill was not hot enough, so try and raise the heat or leave them over the flame for another 2-3 minutes. For reference:

Medium rare steaks should be grilled for roughly 7 minutes a side.

Medium steaks should be grilled for roughly 10 minutes a side.

Well done steaks should be cooked for ten minutes on each side, then left on indirect heat to keep cooking.

Use tongs to turn the steak, as piercing it with a fork causes the juices to leak out.

Remove the steak from direct heat and let it cook indirectly until desired doneness. Move the steak to another side of the grill, one without direct flame, and let it keep cooking until the inside is done to your liking. On a charcoal grill, open or close the top vent to control the smokiness -- the tighter it is shut, the smokier the meat will get. You can use a meat thermometer to gauge the meat, or just estimate with time.

Rare: 130-135°F. Remove immediately after flipping each side.

Medium-Rare: 140°F. Sear each side for an extra minute longer than you would for a rare steak.

Let the steak stand for 10 minutes after removing from the grill. This locks in the juices and flavors, which will escape if you cut it immediately. Tent a piece of aluminum foil over the steak and let it sit before slicing into it.

Using a Stove-Top

Choose a thinner steak if you are cooking on a stovetop. In order to cook the best steak on the stove, you should aim for a piece of meat that is roughly 1 inch thick. This allows you to sear the outsides quickly why still getting the insides well done.

If your steak is thicker, you'll need to cook the steak on low for a longer period of time after searing both sides.

Take the steak out of the fridge 20-30 minutes in advance. Let steaks stand 30 minutes at room temperature so they are not cool and the outsides can cook quickly.

Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper. Rub both sides of the steak with salt and pepper so that it is well encrusted. The bigger the salt you can get (kosher, coarse sea-salt, etc.) the better: bigger pieces of salt stay crunchy and take less time to dissolve into the meat.

You want a fair amount of salt on the meat-- it shouldn't be all white, but there should be salt on every part of the steak.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and swirl to coat. The oil should be smoking just a little, so faint wisps of smoke are coming off the surface.

Some cooks swear by coconut oil, which has a mild flavor but a high smoking point, allowing you to really cook the outside of the steak.

If you do not have a cast-iron skillet you can use a normal frying pan instead, but you may need more oil.

Add steaks to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until browned. You want a nice, caramelized exterior on both sides -- brown but not black. If you flip the steak and it is still pink, turn it back over and leave it until it is nice and crispy on one side.

Reduce the heat and cook to your desired doneness. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook the steak until the inside is your preferred level of done. If you have a meat thermometer you can use this to get your steak perfect every time:

Rare: 130-135°F. Remove immediately after flipping each side.

Medium-Rare: 140°F. Cook for an additional 1-3 minutes on each side.

Medium: 155°F. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes on each side.

Well Done: 165°F Cook the steak for an additional 5-7 minutes on each side.

Let the steak stand for 10 minutes before cutting into it. You don't want to eat your steak right after it comes off. Waiting locks in juices and flavor as they soak into the meat. Tent a piece of aluminum foil over the steak and let it rest before slicing.

Variations

Try rubbing a dry seasoning over the meat 30 minutes before cooking. Dry rubs add flavor to meat without ruining their tenderness, letting you customize your meat to fit the meal. Mix the following spices together with 1/2 tablespoon salt and crushed black pepper before massaging the rub into both sides of the meat. Use equal parts of each spice, roughly 1-1/2 tablespoons, and don't be afraid to mix and match. These rubs are enough for 2-3 steaks.

Use a wet marinade to get moist, delicious flavor into your steaks. Wet marinades are usually effective overnight, so don't try do make one at the last minute and expect a lot of flavor. The acid in wet marinades (vinegar, lemon juice, etc.) also breaks down some of the tissue, making the meat more tender. Be careful though, too much acid can ruin the texture of a steak and make a crispy exterior impossible. Place the steaks in a bag with the marinade and leave them in the fridge overnight to get the best results. Experiment with additional spices or different combinations to find the marinade you love.

Add a pat of butter to the top of the steak for an extra richness. There is a reason that most steakhouse steaks come with a pat of butter on top. Butter can seep into the cuts of the meat and elevate it with a delicious, moist flavor. You can even make "compound butter" (butter mixed with spices and herbs) to get a little extra flavor. To make compound butter, mix 6 tablespoons butter with the following herbs in a food processor, then freeze the mixture until it is time to put on your steak:

1 teaspoon thyme, sage, rosemary, chopped.

2-3 cloves minced garlic

1 teaspoon chili powder, cilantro, and cayenne pepper.

Top your steak with something extra to make a perfect entree. Most steaks can stand by themselves as delicious meals, but a little something extra can make them even better. Things to try on top include:

Caramelized onions, peppers, or mushrooms.

Fried onions.

Blue cheese crumbles.

Ingredients

Strip steaks

Salt and pepper

Tips

Patting down the steaks with a paper towel before seasoning removes moisture and can make browning easier.